The hibiscus, especially the marshmallow, is often attacked by pests such as aphids, spider mites or whiteflies. By acting quickly, severe damage to the hibiscus and spreading to neighboring plants can be avoided.
Which pests attack hibiscus and how do you fight them?
Hibiscus pests include aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. Control measures include collection, showering with water, application of soapy water, nettle infusion, insecticides or biological agents and, if necessary, the use of beneficial insects such as ladybirds or predatory mites.
Aphids
The fresh shoots of hibiscus in particular often fall victim to entire colonies of aphids. The light green or black lice, which are up to 2 mm in size, settle on shoots, leaves and flowers and suck out the plant sap. This leads to shoots dying, leaves becoming stunted and unopened flowers falling off.
Combat
- Immediately place the indoor hibiscus individually to prevent infestation of neighboring plants
- Collect aphids or shower them with a jet of water
- be sure to treat the undersides of the leaves as aphids also hide here
- spray the hibiscus dripping wet with soapy water made from 1 tablespoon of soap to 1 liter of water or
- with a nettle infusion, made from chopped nettles and water, see tip
- Ladybirds feed on aphids. Therefore, collect ladybugs and place them on the affected hibiscus.
- Combat with biological agents from the garden center, e.g. Aphid-free from Neudorff (€31.00 at Amazon) or products with Neem
- Use of chemical agents whose active ingredients are passed on through the plant. The protection lasts for several weeks.
Prevention
With Chinese hibiscus, you should ensure there is sufficient humidity and spray the plant regularly. You can underplant the garden marshmallow with herbs such as savory, sage, thyme and lavender.
Spider mites
Room air that is too dry can lead to spider mite infestation. Spider mites are tiny, yellow, orange or red colored arachnids with 4 pairs of legs that usually attach themselves to the undersides of leaves and leave small webs behind. Affected leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Combat
- Rinse with water
- Wipe the leaves with a dish soap solution
- cover the showered and watered plant with a plastic bag for a few days; the high humidity kills the spider mites
- with insecticides from specialist retailers
- with predatory mites
Prevention
The indoor hibiscus should be sprayed regularly to prevent spider mite infestation. The humidity in the room is increased by regular ventilation.
Whiteflies
Leaves affected by whiteflies die. You can recognize the infestation by yellowish spots on the leaves. To combat whiteflies, you can use yellow stickers or boards to which the flies stick. Insecticidal sticks release their active ingredients into the plant and thus combat whiteflies.
Tips & Tricks
Recipe for nettle infusion:
- make a decoction of chopped nettles and water in a ratio of 1:9
- let it steep in a closed container outside the apartment for about 3 days
- Filter and pour the drain into a spray bottle